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Reinhard ADD: Jon Raven's 'Wedgefield Wakes' lyrics (9) RE: Lyr Req: Jon Raven's 'Wedgefield Wakes' lyrics 12 Apr 21


From Jon Raven: The Urban and Industrial Songs of the Black Country and Birmingham, p.115-6:

The partisan nature of Black Country cockfighting is illustrated by the ‘Wedgefield Wake’, the story of a cockfight that took place during the annual wake. As in the Wedgebury Cocking the fight ends in a brawl between the cockers, who, in their efforts to thrash their opponents, forget all about the main and the cocks. While the song is undated it contains considerable local information: we know the name of the place where the fight took place, the house at which it was fought, the names of the chief contestants and the birds’ owners:

THE WEDGEFIELD WAKE
(Source: Annals of Willenhall, by F. W. Hackwood.)

At Wedgefield at one village Wake,
The cockers all did meet,
At Billy Lane’s the cockfighters,
To have a sporting treat.

For Charley Marson’s spangled cock,
Was matched to fight a red,
That came from Wil’n’all o’er the field,
And belonged to Cheeky Ned.

The finer birds in any cock-pit,
There never yet was scene,
Though the Wedgefield men declared,
Their cock was sure to win.

The cocks fought well and feathers fled,
A ll around about the pit,
While blood from both of ’em did flow,
Yet ne’er un would submit.

At last the spangled Wedgefield bird,
Began to show defeat,
When Billy Lane he up and swore,
The cock should not be beat.

For he would fight the biggest man
That came from Wil’n’all town,
When on the word old Cheeky Ned,
Got up and knocked him down.

To fight they went like bulldogs,
As it is very well known,
Till ‘Cheeky Ned’ seized big Billy’s thumb,
And bit it into the bone,

At this the Wedgefield men began,
Their comrade’s part to take,
And never was a fiercer fight
Fought at a village wake.

They beat the men from Wil’n’all
Back to their town again,
And long they will remember,
This Wedgefield Wake and Main.

Wedgefield: Wednesfield, Wolverhampton.
Wil’n’all: Willenhall, West Midlands.


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